A Zimbabwean High Court judge implicated Vice-President Constantino Chiwenga in the deadly shootings of unarmed civilians by the military following post-election violence in the capital on August 1.

The military fired live ammunition on civilians, killing six people

In a ruling made Wednesday, Justice David Mangota dismissed a case where Allison Charles and the Counselling Services Unit (CSU) had taken President Emmerson Mnangagwa to court seeking that he disband the commission of inquiry into the event, which is led by former South African President Kgalema Motlanthe.

Charles and CSU argued that Mnangagwa was conflicted in the matter, saying he had constitutional powers to deploy soldiers and could not set a commission of inquiry into his conduct.

“The circumstances of the events of August 1, 2018, unfold themselves in a manner which is as clear as night follows day. They run in the following order,” he ruled.

“(a) a commotion started in the central business district of Harare; (b) the officer who commands the district assessed the magnitude of the commotion as measured against the strength of the personnel which was then at his disposal; (c) he approached the Police Commissioner-General, whom he apprised of what was obtaining; (d) the Police Commissioner-General approached the minister under whose supervision he operates; (e) the minister, in turn, approached his counterpart in the Defence ministry; (f) he, in turn, dispatched members of the defence forces who worked under the command of the regulating authority of the district of Harare.”

Mangota said the matters raised above “expose the incorrectness of the applicants’ syllogism”.